Side delivery rake



July 2, 1946. E. L. RIETz SIDE DELIVERY RAKE Filed Dec. 27, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 2, 1946.

E. L. RIE-rz 2,403,401

SIDE DELIVERY RAKE Filed Dec. 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rererrea Jelyz, 194e smE DELIVERY am Eawera i.. metz, Riverside, n1., assigner te international Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Appueauen December 2v, 1943, serial No. 515,643

This invention relates to a new and improved l side delivery rake and has for one of its principal objects the provision of a longitudinally arched frame carried at one end by a draft vehicle and supported by a two-wheel truck at the rear thereof.

An important object of this invention is to provide van adjustably tiltable wheel truck for varying the height of a side delivery rake.

Another important object of this vinvention is l the provisionof a novel ground wheel drive for a side delivery rake.

Another and further important object of this invention is the provision of a tractor-drawn side delivery rake incorporating an arched frame and having a raking cylinder suspended from the high point of the arched frame.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide s, V-shaped arched frame for a side delivery rake.

Other and further important objects will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying sheets of drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of thex side delivery rake of this invention;-

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the rake of this invention; and

Figure 3 is a sectional detail of the rake teeth adjusting means. t

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral I Ii indicates generally a longitudinally disposed, V-shaped arched frame which has an apex Ii at its front and wide spread arms I2 and I3 at its rear end. The apex iI of the frame I t supports a clevis i4 for the purpose of hitching to a draft vehicle such as a tractor or the like. As best shown in Figure l, the forward end of the frame near the apex II is equipped with a leg member I 5 which is hinged at I6l whereby when the rake is supported by a tractor drawbar, the leg I5 vis swung upwardly between the frame arms I2 and I3. The leg I5 has a groundengaging foot. I1, and when the rake is not in use, it supports the forward end thereof.

The central part oi the frame is raised in an arch I8 beneath which is suspended a side Idelivery rake cylinder frame I9 by means of straps 2li. The rear end of the rake frame I0 is supported by transversely alined wheels 2i and 22, which are mounted adjacent the frame arms I2 and i3, respectively. 'Ehe wheels 2i and 22 are mounted on a single transverse axle 23, and with the addition of rearwardly and upwardly extending arms 2@ and 25 form a sturdy wheel truck.

3 Claims. (Cl. 156-377) port a plurality of rake teeth di.

The upper ends ofthe arms 24 and 25 are afiixed to a transverse shaft or bolster 26, which is journaled in the ends of the arms I2 and I3 and is disposed parallel with but to the rear, and above axle 28. The wheel truck is, therefore, hinged for arcuate movement about this shaft 28 and beneath the frame IU. It is evident that swinging this wheel truck in an aro beneath the bolster 2B will cause the frame i@ to be raised and lowered, depending upon the vangular position or the arms 24 and 25. An upward extension 2 of the arm 24 is utilized to swing the wheel truck about this shaft 26. A bracketZS is xedly attached to the upward extension '2l by means of welding or the like, and acts as a bearing support for a crank arm 29. Another bracket 30 is clamped to the frame arm i2 at 3i and is equipped with an internally threaded aperture which is engaged by a threaded portion 32 of the crank arm Z9. A crank handle 33 projects rearwardly of the frame Iii and is adapted to rotate the crank arm 29. It is quite evident that as the crank arm 29 is rotated, the wheel truck is inclined a greater or lesser degree depending on 25 the engagement of the threaded portion 32 of the crank with the bracket 303. The dashed line position of Figure 1 shows the frame raised by the raising of the wheel truck bolster 26.

The cylinder frame I 9 is equipped with substantially semi-circular stripper bars 31S, which are positioned at regular intervals along the length thereof. U-shaped brackets 35 and 35. depend from each end of the cylinder frame i9, as best shown in Figure i, and are adapted to journally support a raking cylinder 3%. This cylinder has a pair of spiders di and 3i at each end thereof. Each spider is equipped with three equally spaced radially extending arms it which journally support longitudinal rods 39. Each of these rods 3.9 has a bent end portion d, as shown in 'Figures 1 and 3 at the end of the raking cylinder having the spider 3l. rJihe rods 39 sup- T'he teeth di have coil Ysprings 42 intermediate their ends and their attachment to the rods 39, whereupon they are made resiliently yieldable. The rods 39 terminate in bearings 43 in the spider 3i'.

It will be understood that rotation of the rods 39 will effect a change in the angular inclination of the rake teeth M. ,As shown in Figure 3. an eccentric adjustment means is provided to permit rotation of these rods 39 and to lock them in any desired position.. A circular frame 4B, as shown in Figure 3, has three radial fingers t5 which are adapted to receive the bent ends il? of the rods 39 at 46. The raking cylinder 36 has a central shaft 41 on which is mounted the spiders 31 and 31. A bearing hub 48 surrounds this shaft 41 and has mounted thereon an upwardly extending guide bracket 49. .The guide bracket 49 has a central aperture 50, as shown in Figure l. through which passes an arm I journally supporting wheels 52 and 53. These wheels 52 and 53 are mounted On the side olo the arm 5I and are adapted to contact the inner circumference 54 of the circular frame 44. A lthreaded stud 55 is coextensive and integral with the arm 5| and is shiftable transversely of the cylinder frame by means of a crank 56, which includes an internally threaded sleeve portion 51 which engages the threaded stud 55. The crank 56 is affixed to the cylinder frame I9. As the roller wheels 52 and 53 are moved transverselyY by means of the crankadjusting means, it is evident that the circular frame 44 will move by reason of the rollers contacting the inner bracket 54 of this circular frame 44. As shown in Figure 3, the central shaft 41 of the raking cylinder 36 is substantially located in the middle of the circular frame 44, whereby the ends 40 of the rods 39 are substantially vertical, and thereupon the rake teeth 4I are also vertically disposed. However, a movement of this circular frame 44 to either the right or left will cause the ends 40 of the rods 39 to be inclined, whereupon the rake teeth 4I will also be inclined a. corresponding amount. In other words, the circular frame 44 is shifted with respect to the central shaft 41 of the raking cylinder 36 and so forms a variable eccentric.

The ends of the shaft 41 are journally supported within the U-shaped brackets 35 and 35'. An adjusting means is provided to cause a raising or lowering of at least one end of the shaft 41 within one of the slots 58 in the U-shaped brackets 35. A connecting link 59 is adapted to be attached to a bearing 60 which is slidable within the vertical slot 58.V The other end of the connecting link 59 is attached to one end 6I of bell-crank lever 62. The bell-crank lever 62 is pivoted at 63 on the cylinder frame I9 and is operable by an 'upwardly extending handle 64. When the handle 64 is pulled downwardly around the arcuate quadrantI 65, it is obvious that the connecting link 59 will lift the bearing 60 and hence the entire end of the raking cylinder 36. A pawl and detent are provided on the handle 64 and quadrant 65, respectively, to effect a positive locking of the bearing 60 at any desired height within the slot 58 of the U-shaped bracket 35. handle 64, and the detent teeth 61 are in the outer surface of the arcuate quadrant 65. A

The pawl-isshown at 66 as a part of theV small bell-crank lever 68 is provided adjacent the handle 54 forraising and lowering the pawl 66 to and from engagement with the teeth 61.

The other end of the raking cylinder is allowed to float within the slot 58 of the U-shaped bracket 35'. 1r. wul be reauzed that shomd the rake teeth 4I strike some obstruction in addition to the teeth being yieldable because of the springs 42, the raking cylinder will rise Within the slot 58.

As best shown in Figure 2, a'bevel gear 69 is keyed or otherwise affixed to the transverse wheel axle 23 and is adapted to engage a bevel gear 19. These bevel gears 69 and 10 are enclosed within a gear housing 1I whichis suspended beneath the frame arm I3. A shaft 12 projects diagonally forward from the bevel gear 10 andis adapted to drive a similarly directed shaft 13 through a uni- -tion with the raking cylinder.

4 versal joint 14. The shaft 13 runs substantially parallel with the raking cylinder 36 and terminates adjacent the forwardly extending end of the cylinder frame I9. The cylinder frame I9 is hung diagonally between the frame arms I2 and I3. A second universal joint 15 is adapted to be driven by the shaft 13 through a tclescoping sleeve 16. The drive proceeds from this joint 15 to a. sprocket 11, which is journaled on a bracket 18 affixed to the cylinder frame I9. Another sprocket 19 is keyed to the shaft 41 and is driven by the sprocket 11 by means of a chain 80. It is obvious that rotation of the central shaft 41 will cause simultaneous rotation of the raking cylinder 36.

The upper arched portion of the frame at I8 supports the cylinder frame I9 and is quite advantageous in employing low standard size wheels, as shown at 2I. Present day farm machinery employs pneumatic tires on nearly all of its implements, and it is 'desirable for the side delivery rake to also have these standard size low pneumatic tire wheels. Hence, it is desirable to employ this arched V-shaped frame. The V-Shape is especially adapted for receiving a two-wheel truck at the wide rear end thereof, and the forward apex end is also especially adapted to attach to a draft vehicle.

It is evident that herein is provided a side delivery rake which will pick up hay, straw, or other grain and lay it in a windrow without interference from forwardly positioned wheels on the implement. The height of the raking cylinder may be varied by means of the crank 33, or it may be raised at one end by the lever 64. In spite of the variations in cylinder height, the ground wheel drive maintains constant connec- This is made possible by means of the telescoping drive members 13 and 16 so that the length of the drive may be varied according to the inclination of the wheel truck. y

Heretofore, side delivery rakes customarily em ployed a pair of forward wheels and possibly one or even two caster wheels. Such a device was cumbersome and complex in its construction. The present side delivery rake utilizes a substantially symmetrical construction and is simple and Aeasy to operate.

truck including an axle and a pair of spaced wheels attached to said axle, a cylinder frame suspended from said supporting frame and positioned at an angle from the right front to the left rear, a raking cylinder rotatably journaled in said cylinder frame, means for driving thev raking cylinder at its right front end from said axle at a position adjacent the left rear wheel, said means for driving the raking cylinder comprising a drive arm extending substantially parallel with the singularlyl positioned cylinder frame and associated with the wheel truck axle and raking cylinder.A

2. A side delivery rake comprising a supporting frame adapted to be held at its forward end by a draft vehicle and at its rear end by a two wheel truck, a cylinder frame suspended from said supporting frame and positioned at an angle from the right front tothe left rear, a raking cylinder rotatably journaled in said cylinder 5 frame, means for driving the raking cylinder at its right front end from a position adjacent the left rear wheel, said means for driving the raking cylinder comprising a drive arm extending substantiaily parallel with the angularly positioned cylinder frame, a pair of bevelled gears associated with the wheel truck imparting rotation to said drive arm and a pair of sprockets and a chain at the forward end of said drive arm assoelated with said raking cylinder and imparting rotation to said raking cylinder..

3. A side delivery rake having an arched two arm v-shaped frame adapted to be supported at its apex forward end on a. draft vehicle and at its spread rearward end on a two wheel truck,

a cylinder frame diagonally suspended from an 

